The traditional ceremony that accompanies a boat launching in Carriacou and Petite Martinique never fails to enthral visitors to both islands. Not unlike other Caribbean Festivals the islanders enthusiastically celebrate the occasion with much fanfare, pomp and pagentry as they give the glorious, turquoise seas another beautiful craft whether for racing, fun or trading.
With both islands strategically located in the tourist dream zone of the Grenadines, there are often a good the number of visitors to the launching event and they help to turn the event into a significant occasion. It may be that the format of the traditional ceremony is unique to Carriacou and Petite Martinique. This is a reflection of the retention of the wealth of ancient and historical practices here.
A traditional boat launch on Carriacou is an exciting celebration as many people work together to get the boat afloat
The days leading up to the launching are always hectic for the organizers as they ensure that everything is in place for the smooth running of the ceremony. On the morning of the event, the men are busy checking that everything is ready for the launch, while the ladies are immersed in all the food preparations.
These islands are very spiritually oriented, and there is hardly any major event where a priest or pastor is not present, to invite God’s blessings and perpetual guidance. The priest then arrives to the site of the launch, with the church’s choir. The priest prays and hymns are sung, encompassing the spiritual nature of the activity.
Dancing of the cake takes place, to the accompaniment of string band music. This is an important part of the celebrations. The cake is then cut and shared to everyone present. A collection bag is placed on the stern post of the boat for anyone who wishes to make a financial contribution.
The flag, which bears the name of the boat, is tightly wrapped and placed on the boat. Anticipation mounts as slowly all heads look upwards and the owner of the boat unveils the name to a spontaneous applause. The name of the boat is usually a girl’s name.
The task of labor then begins, to get the boat into the water. Ropes are everywhere – both on land and sea. Men in their numbers then place logs all along the bottom of the boat so that it can roll smoothly along. An anchor is placed outside, beneath the area where the boat will float. This anchor must be placed firmly, to withstand the pressure of the pulling. A block and tackle is placed mid way to ease the process of launching the boat. Men on the shore then begin pulling and the boat responds by slowly edging closer into the water.
There is a rope connected to the back of the boat, to avoid it from sliding down too quickly and out of control which could result in damage.
As the boat touches the water there is a loud applause and more men assist in pushing it in. As it gets closer to floating, bottles of drink, usually beer, are smashed on the stern, to signal a successful and safe launching. The boat is then rocked from side to side to ensure that she is ready for the task she was built for.
Music, food, drinks and socializing then follow to celebrate the occasion in the true warm, Carriacou spirit of hospitality.
